Pittsburgh and Religious Diversity
To hear people talk, you’d think that all Pittsburghers care about is their beloved Steelers, or “Stillers,” as it’s pronounced in the ‘Burgh. Yes, football at the pro, college, and high-school levels is ultra-big here in Western Pennsylvania.  But look a little deeper and you’ll see that where religion is concerned, no other region in the United States is as devoted as ours. And you’ll be hard pressed to find another culture as
religiously diverse.

It’s not surprising that Pittsburgh has been named the nation’s third, most religious, large metropolitan area. If you drive to the top of any of the many hills here and look out across the river valley, you’ll see crosses, domes, and spires pointing skyward as evidence of the importance religion plays in our lives. In fact, Greater Pittsburgh abounds with more than 1,000 places of worship — Roman Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant, to Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist. That’s about one church for every square mile. In fact, only Salt Lake County, Utah has more churches per capita than we
do here.

Pittsburgh’s religious landscape reflects its diverse ethnic origins and heritage. Allegheny County has the highest percentage of Presbyterians than any other in the United States. And Pittsburgh is one of only four cities in the world – one of three that aren’t Jerusalem – where the majority of the Jewish population lives within city limits.

The architecture of the city’s churches, temples, and mosques make them stand out.  Many are worth the time just to visit to admire their aesthetics. The Tiffany stained-glass windows of the Calgary United Methodist Church on Pittsburgh’s North Side are considered among the finest in the world. Rodef Shalom, a century-old synagogue in Oakland has a one-of-a-kind biblical garden, the largest in the United States that allows you to “visit the land of the Bible in a setting of a waterfall, a desert and stream.”  St. Anthony’s Catholic Chapel in Troy Hill contains holy relics that include tiny pieces of bones of saints. And the ornate, bright-white buildings of Sri Venkateswara, designed in the seventh-century tradition of Hindu temples, make this, one of the first Hindu temples in the country, a wonder to behold.

A number of institutions in the Greater Pittsburgh area provide opportunities for para-church education and community service. One such institution is the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry (CUBM). An urban outreach of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, CUBM educates urban students in southwestern Pennsylvania for effective service in their local communities through accredited Bible based degree programs and other learning experiences in a Christian community that encourages meaningful relationships with others of diverse backgrounds.  CUBM was formed by a group of visionary, urban church leaders to provide formal education and credentialing for church ministers and lay leaders.

Through its interfaith ministry, the East End Cooperative Ministry (EECM) is dedicated to helping at-risk children and young people, the hungry, the homeless, and others in need throughout Pittsburgh’s East End. EECM was founded in 1970 by 18 local congregations to launch a unified effort to address the problems plaguing the East End. Today, EECM leads a community-wide effort, supported by more than 40 member
congregations and a corp of local businesses, foundations, generous donors, and dedicated volunteers.

Now in its 71st year, the Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) provides programs in a number of service areas, helps more than 5,000 people each year, and supports dozens of community organizations. This organization works to improve the quality of life of individuals and families in the Jewish and general communities by providing psychological, employment and social services. Over the years, its purpose has been to maintain and strengthen family life by continuously adapting its programs and services to meet the changing needs of its dynamic population. Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh has proved itself a leader in providing innovative and effective social service solutions to problems facing families and individuals of all ages.

The Thomas Merton Center comprises people from diverse philosophies and faiths who find common ground in nonviolent struggle to bring about a more peaceful and just world.  The center works to raise moral questions involved in the issues of war, poverty, racism, and oppression. In so doing, the center serves as a resource and organizing center for projects in the community and maintains a calendar of peace and justice-oriented events and activities in the Tri-State area.

To learn more about religious and para-church organizations in Southwestern Pennsylvania, log on to the Carnegie Library website at www.clpgh.org. You’ll find the information you need to help you and your family locate a place of worship and organizations that are appropriate for you.mg